Privileges Of Women During The Elizabethan Era

Elizabethan Era was between (1558-1603). The Elizabethan Era is the epoch in English history marked by the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Women were either upper class Elizabethan women or lower class Elizabethan women. Women were expected to be housewives, and care for the children and the men be the breadwinners. Because women were considered inferior there were certain roles and expectations they were required to carry out. New thinking was brought to England, called the Renaissance. Elizabethan women who came from wealthy and noble homes were able to have more privileges, such as an education. From the age of five and younger Elizabethan girls from wealthy families were taught by tutors at home. Elizabethan Women were taught various languages

The clothing was made of expensive velvet, silk, and satin. Clothing that had bright colors were only worn by the rich because the dye that was used was very expensive. The upper class women wore gowns, underclothing, corsets, hats, ruffs, collars, jewelry, and shoes. The upper class men wore doublets, underclothing, breeches, ruffs, collars, hats and shoes. The upper class had many advantages during the Elizabethan Era. These privileges could not only be bought by their riches but were not available to the lower class because of their socioeconomic status. Privileges that were available to the lower class equally, were still not fully available as if they were rich as well. For example, earlier in the paper the rich could have a comfortable seat during Shakespeare plays while the poor stood up (Elliot, “Elizabethan Era-The Upper

Although it was common for a woman to give birth just a little more than every year, she still ended up with a small family. The woman taught her children appropriate manners and how to dress from a young age. The Sumptuary Laws dictated what people wore, women wore clothes that were dictated by that specific law. The law told what colors and fabrics were allowed for each rank of people. For example, Upper class women were allowed to wear fabrics made of fur, silk and velvet that had gold and silver colors. But the lower class people had to wear dull colors like brown, beige, yellow, green, grey and shades of blue, and the fabrics were less appealing; they commonly used wool, linen and sheepskin. Women had less freedom than they do now. Social activities, such as voting were not allowed for women to participate in. In fact, politics could not have women involved. They were not allowed to perform plays onstage, as it was seen dishonorable by the church, and all female roles had to be acted by males. They could only write literature if society deemed the subject of her writing was appropriate (Seeley, “Role of Women in Elizabethan